Fade In On Mark
by PoeticDream
Summary: People always make such wrong assumptions about Mark. They always assume that Roger brought him in. Mark sets the record straight. [PostRENT] Rating is really just because it's a RENT story...oh, and occasionally Mark's mouth.
1. The Man Behind The Camera

**_Present Day_**

"Hi, Mark Cohen here; yes, the man behind the camera. Over the past 7 years, I've been chronicling my friends' lives. Now, I've been instructed, from someone who shall remain anonymous…" Mark paused for a few seconds here. He'd edit in a photo of Roger later. "…under the penalty of death, to work on a film of my own life. This is completely ridiculous in my opinion, but I quite value my life…so here goes….

"You know, it's funny. People take one look at me and go 'out of place kid from Nowhere, Suburbia'. They can't quite figure out why I haven't yet gone crying back to my parents. Ha. The next time I go back home, it'll be in a box. My parents cut off all communication with me after I stopped returning their phone calls. They don't approve of the way I live my life? That's fine with me. It was my decision for once – not theirs.

But it's not that what people most often interpret wrong about me. It's how I ended up here; in this loft. They honestly believe that Roger found me huddled on the street, freezing and without money. While the 'without money' part may certainly be true, let me assure you, I was not simply wandering through Alphabet City and sleeping in a cardboard box, freezing my ass off. And it was most certainly not _Roger _who found _me…._"

**A/N: Gotta love plot bunnies xD I actually have a lot more of this written in longhand, and even more still swimming through my brain. Unfortunately school obligations are keeping me from typing it all up. So here's where you come in. I think this story could really go somewhere, but I need to know that you think that too, and I wouldn't just be wasting my time. So click that little review button? I don't really care if all you say is 'Interested!' I'm not very needy. I can work on those conditions. I don't really expect much more considering the shortness of this 'chapter' anyways. So quit reading this, and review!**


	2. The Big Apple

**Fade In On Mark: The Big Apple (Chapter 1)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, well, let's just say things would have turned out a LOT differently xD**

**Notes: This chapter is entirely dedicated to _awindowtothepast_. It's because of the review I got from her that I decided this story was worth posting. I told y'all I wasn't hard to persuade xD One review after 3 months of this being up. Yeah, I'm easy xD**

_Italics _are flashbacks

**_Bold Italics _**are Mark's thoughts.

Now, enough rambling - on with the story!

**PreRENT**

"Yes mom, I'm here... Yes mom, I'm fine... No mom, no one's mugged me yet..."

Mark Cohen sighed. He loved his mom, he really did - but she was so protective! So much so, that it had become Mark's ambition that as soon as he turned eighteen, he would leave Scarsdale and go out to the Big Apple. New York City. The place where dreams were made. Whatever you wanted to call it, it was Mark's image of a perfect life growing up. He'd go to the City, shoot a film about the homeless and how they were so mistreated. He'd take the film to some big corporation, they'd show it on TV, and suddenly the worlds problems would be fixed.

Who was he kidding? That was the perfect picture he had painted for his mom, but no one else was deluded enough to actually think that was how things worked in the real world. In fact, Mark was sure his mom hadn't even fallen for it, but when she didn't try to stop him he didn't question her.

Mark had arrived in New York City by train only 15 minutes ago. He was standing outside of the Metro-North Railroad station on a payphone. His mother had only asked one thing of him before he left.

**-----x-----**

_"Mark," Judy Cohen said as she pulled away from hugging her son "are you absolutely sure you want to do this? I know things have been hard since your father..."_

_"Mom!" Mark stopped her short "I promise, this has nothing to do with Dad's dying. I've wanted to do this for as long as I can remember."_

_He leaned down to give the shorter woman another hug. _

_"Well, if you're sure. I just need you to promise me something, Marky."_

_"Anything, Mom." He said, pulling back and staring her straight in the eyes._

_"Call me when you get there, so I'm not worried. And I want you to check in with me atleast once a week!"_

_Mark laughed at this. It wasn't what he was expecting, but he'd do anything just to leave. So he nodded, promised he'd keep in touch, said his last 'Love you', and walked out the front door to the taxi waiting to take him away._

**-----x-----**

**A/N: More coming! Either later tonight, or tomorrow night.**


End file.
